


Love, Nico

by altruisticSocks



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Gods (Percy Jackson), Angst with a Happy Ending, Good luck figuring out what I decided was canon, Love Simon AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/altruisticSocks/pseuds/altruisticSocks
Summary: Jason Grace doesn't exactly love high school but it's not super terrible. He's been voted captain of the debate team, has a great group of friends, gets good grades, and is maybe a little bit in love with a secret email penpal. Normal teenage stuff. Until someone just so happens to read his emails.Simon vs/Love, Simon AU with Jasico.





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> Love, Simon AU no one asked for. It's a big mixture of book and movie canon from Simon vs. And I refuse to read anymore Rick Riordan novels so I've only read the PJO and HoO series. Good luck figuring out what I decided was canon.

_I was in love with a boy who was all my favorite stories come to life. He was my hero. I loved him so much it almost killed me. And I feel like no one will ever understand loving someone that much and not being able to have them. I can’t have him because it’s wrong, because he’s a boy and so am I._

_Life is so lonely. But it gets so much more so when you can’t even be yourself. Because you’re afraid the world won’t accept you. Because you know the world won’t accept you. And I guess I just figured I need to say it. So someone knows. Even if they don’t know me._

* * *

 

The words of an anonymous person on the internet somehow describe perfectly what I’m feeling. I had been pretty sure I might be the only gay kid in our school since it’s pretty small and very conservative. Jupiter Academy is a selective private school and its students aren’t the most welcoming of people. They’re nice enough, I suppose, just very competitive and self-centered. So like every other high school in the world.

The message was posted to the school's gossip blog, Jupiter’s Secrets; which had started as a news blog for the school Jupiter Academy, but it had quickly taken a downward spiral into something that resembled the After-school app. Just a lot of gross anonymous posts and rumor starters.

And then there was stuff like this. This was huge. Here is a kid who is saying he’s like me, that he gets what I’m going through. The post is signed Democritus and there is an email address under it. I have to talk to him.

FROM: upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

TO: beyourshadow@gmail.com

DATE: Aug 23 at 8:12 PM

SUBJECT: Same hat!!

Dear Democritus,

I saw your post on Jupiter’s secrets. I just have to tell you I get it, I really do. Not the whole being in love part, I’ve never been in love, but I am gay. What grade are you in? I’m a junior at Jupiter. I’m sorry if this is weird I just really had to talk to you, to let you know you’re not alone.

I hope you write back. But you don’t have to! I just think it would be really cool to talk to you.

-Diocletian

(P.S.  I’m guessing Democritus is not your real name, so I gave you a fake one too. :p.)

* * *

 

FROM: beyourshadow@gmail.com

TO: upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

DATE: Sep 15 at 11:23 pm

SUBJECT: Re: How did you know?

Dear Diocletian,

I miss everything about Italy. But I can never go back. It’s stupid but in my head, I guess I think of Italy as Mamma’s place and to go there without her… Well, it just wouldn’t be my Italy. I’ve traveled around a lot. Not really traveled more like I’ve been a lot of places. There’s a difference.

My favorite movies are probably the Pirates of the Caribbean ones. I don’t know. What movies do you like? Yes, I do have a unique skill but if I told you it would give it away. I like a lot of music, I like a lot of different sounds. I go from Ink Spots to the Ramones to Passion Pit and then to like Days N Daze. I’m all over the place, though, that might be the ADHD.

Now to answer your last question: I would rather not talk about him. I know you’re just curious but I can’t talk about him. Not yet at least. It still hurts.

How did you find out you were gay? You said you’d never been in love but was there a someone who opened your eyes?

Actually, Hades has 5,000 attack points but whatever,

Democritus

* * *

 

It’s a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost don’t notice I’m being blackmailed.

It’s after school and Mr. Apollo’s classroom is filled with the anxiety rush that comes the day before a speech meet. I see Otis and Ephialtes crash into each other as they try to put a new transition into their duo. I watch Reyna frisbee toss her POI binder across the room in frustration. Will looks like he’s having a seizure as he tries to make his humor character pops faster. And with the way Dakota is slamming back his kool-aid, I suspect he is digging into his forbidden Topicality Debate folder.

I can’t help but smile, all of this craziness feels more like home than my silent house ever has.

I’ve just gotten back to my laptop with my freshly printed, very last minute, aff case when Octavian says, “I read your emails.”

“What?” I snatch my laptop away from him and see my account open. My secret account.

“You read my email?” I barely contain myself from screaming at him.

“Not on purpose, obviously. But you said I could use your laptop to print my case and when I went to sign into my account it pulled up an email and the subject line was just far too interesting to ignore so, I read your emails. But don’t worry, I’m not going to show anyone.”

I freeze up. Show anyone? So he has pictures of my emails. Great. Just perfect.

“What do you want for them, Octavian.” I’m not going to play his game any more than I have to. I’m so enraged I’m afraid I might attack Octavian that I start counting backward from ninety in my head.

“Well you’re pretty close with Reyna; I would appreciate it if you would give me a leg up with her.”

“I mean yeah we’re close but she hates you, it’s a miracle she spends time anywhere near you, and that’s only because you’re on the team.”

“Look I’m not asking you to get her to fall in love with me. I just want you to institute some less hostile feelings toward me in her. Also, some times that we can hang out, alone.”

The thing is I half want to tell him to go ahead and show everyone my emails. It’s a Herculean task getting Reyna to hang out and be social at all, even with people she likes, it will be impossible to get her to agree to hang out with someone she actively avoids. It would make things so much easier if I didn’t have to come out directly to everyone. Hell, if people start being homophobic about it I could just say that Octavian made the whole thing up.

It’s not just me this will hurt though. If everyone figures out who I’ve been emailing, who Democritus is, then he could get hurt. I can’t hurt Democritus. He was so skittish already, so easily upset. I don’t want to lose him. I know an ill-placed joke can make him stop answering for days, Democritus is very strong but he is a volatile mix of one part internalized homophobia, two parts a terribly rough childhood, and three parts scared out of his mind to get hurt again. I can’t hurt him like the last person did.

“Fine.”

  



	2. 1. Emails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emails picking up from Democritus's last chapter.

FROM: upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

TO: beyourshadow@gmail.com

DATE: Sep 16 at 7:58 am

SUBJECT: Re: How did you know?

Dear Democritus,

That’s not stupid, that makes a lot of sense. Where have you traveled? What is the difference between having traveled somewhere and just having been there? Is it how much you experienced while you were there? Like I’ve been to Atlanta but it was only for like a day. 

I love those movies! I really like superhero movies. Wow, reading all that makes me think I’m kind of boring in my music taste. I’ve only heard of the Ramones, and even then I only know one of their songs. What do you mean it will give it away? Give what away?

Okay, that’s alright. If you ever do want to talk about him you can with me. 

I've only pretty recently figured out I was gay. I mean there were tons of “signs” but I never really paid attention. Then one day I saw this guy and I was just thought he was so beautiful. I sat for a good ten minutes just wondering what it would be like to hold his hand. That’s pretty much when I realized I was screwed. 

Wow what a nerd, 

Diocletian

(PS: Only if he attacks first)

 

FROM:  beyourshadow@gmail.com

TO: upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

DATE: Sep 16 at 12:30 pm

SUBJECT: re: How did you know?

Dear Diocletian,

I don’t want you to know who I am. I know it’s probably weird, and saying that must make you think I’m some sort of creeper, but I like what we have now. The anonymity is nice. I can tell you things without having to face you in real life. I’m not ready to be out. I don’t know if I ever will be “out and proud.” It seems like such an impossibility. To be that sincere with the whole world. It’s not hard to be sincere with you. I’m afraid I act really differently than I do in writing. We wouldn’t be friends outside of these emails.

And you call me the nerd,

Democritus

 

FROM: upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

TO:  beyourshadow@gmail.com

DATE: Sep 16 at 6:56 pm

SUBJECT: Re: How did you know?

Dear Democritus,

How do you know we wouldn't be friends? I think we would get along the same way we do now. If you’re being sincere with me here then I think I would really like you in “real life.” You’re sweet, funny, and a total dork (in a good way!). We would probably be able to talk for hours about everything and I would never get bored. 

Sometimes I imagine us meeting. Like I would bump into you in the hallway and at first, we wouldn’t realize but then you’d say something and it would just click. I would be all cheesy and say “Democritus?” And you would probably say something sarcastic and witty back. Like “Do I look that old?” I don’t know. It’s nice to think about. It makes me happy. 

You’re my favorite nerd,

Diocletian

 

FROM:  upthere.somewhere@gmail.com

TO: beyourshadow@gmail.com

DATE: Sep 18 at 3:30 pm

SUBJECT: I’m an idiot

So I was panicking because you hadn’t responded and I reread my last email and wow, I was a jerk. I totally wouldn’t have responded either. I’m sorry Democritus. I didn’t mean to be so pushy and rude. I wasn’t trying to get you to reveal yourself to me or anything. I like things the way they are with us right now, I really like emailing you. To be honest, I don’t think I’m ready to be out either. I just didn’t like hearing you put yourself down like that. I really like you now, I’m pretty sure I would still really like you outside of these emails too, but I’m not asking you to tell me who you are. 

I’m sorry, 

Diocletian 


	3. Speech Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico di Angelo has been sitting at my lunch table since the beginning of the school year. He barely talks to us and when he does open his mouth it’s always to say something sarcastic. To be honest, I didn’t really like him until he got closer to Reyna.

I don’t know why I expected things to be different the next day. It wasn’t like Octavian had told anyone yet. I just was expecting something more dramatic than a “Hey, Grace,” from him. He didn’t even mention the blackmail he’s holding over my head.

I haven’t told Democritus about the potential outing. He doesn’t even want me to know who he is. I can only imagine how much he’ll like knowing that some asshole might tell the whole school who and what he is. I can’t let Democritus’s secret get out. He’d never email me again and I would probably go insane. I know I’m already too attached to Democritus, I worry about him all the time. He’s the first person I tell when things get hard and he helps calm me down and keep me grounded. I can’t lose him.

I make it all the way to lunch until I get the drama I’m after. I sit down at my usual lunch table and Octavian saunters over and asks if he can sit with us. 

Reyna’s response is immediate and curt. “We’re full.”

He gives me a pointed look but I just shrug at him. She’s not wrong, our table is supposed to seat five and we have seven jammed in at the moment. Octavian leaves with a huff and the normal pattern of lunch chatter sets in. 

Our group is kind of a mismatched band of people who all belong to different groups but for whatever reason, we all sit together. We have the debate nerds, and then there's Piper and Leo who are both popular, soft and gentle Hazel, and her equally kind boyfriend Frank, and finally, there’s Nico, who is scary.

Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and I have known each other since we were two years old. We’ve always been really close. We dated freshman year but we were both really weird about it. She’s a lot like a sister to me. 

Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, and I became best friends freshman year when I saw Leo pull the fire alarm to get Piper out of a class presentation and I was the only witness. The principal found out and grilled me for it, I told him that I had seen Leo do it but it was a total accident. We didn’t really have any other choice but to be friends after that. 

Hazel Levesque was a friend of Leo’s from band. She’s probably the most genuinely kind person I know. She joined us during sophomore year and when she started dating Frank Zhang we all kind of just fell in together. Frank is a huge teddy bear and really smart. Sometimes he’ll help me run debates during lunch. 

And then there’s Nico. Nico di Angelo has been sitting at my lunch table since the beginning of the school year. He transferred from a different high school and he’s in my grade though he’s a year younger. I sort of thought he would leave our table once he found some friends of his own, but he’s honestly kind of a loner. He barely even talks to us and when he does open his mouth it’s always to say something sarcastic.  To be honest, I didn’t really like him until he got closer to Reyna. He started coming to speech practice to help Reyna. He holds onto every word she says as if she is a prophet. He’s super sweet with her and you can’t help but like someone who would do anything for someone he cares about. If Reyna wanted the moon he’d get it for her. I think that’s what makes Nico feel so dangerous.

We get to leave after lunch for the meet which means I get to skip Trigonometry. When we arrive at the school everyone is lint rolling their suits and getting ready for rounds.  Speech meets run in two patterns; D’s and HOPE. There are debate events and then there are performance events, hence the speech  _ and  _ debate title. D’s are your debates and then POI, drama, and duo also run during that pattern. HOPE is humor, oratory, poetry, and extemporaneous.

Otis and Ephialtes are our duo team and they don’t really mingle with the rest of us. Their duo is a scene from  _ Dante’s Inferno,  _ they have yet to break to semifinals this year. 

Dakota, Gwen, and I are the debaters. Gwen and Dakota are a cross-examination team. Most of the other teams think of them as a joke because they will often pull something call a topicality debate. Basically, they try to prove an issue that has nothing to do with the topic is more important or that their off-topic solution will fix the resolution. Some of my favorites of these debates include “Military Funding Should Go to Beyonce Because She Will Use it Better” and “Queer Parents Should Get Precedence Over Adoption Because…” It used to be that Coach banned them from doing those because they were guaranteed losses. But for whatever reason this season they’ve been placing top three every time they pull topicality. I just stuck to plain old Lincoln-Douglas debate, which is just a one-on-one debate and typically what people think of when they hear debate. Octavian also does LD.

Reyna and Will are our interpretative performance gods. Will does humor and drama and I am a little terrified of how easily he can switch from being hilarious to sobbing. His humor is a 5 o’clock news skit. His drama is about children in poverty. Reyna does oratory and POI. Oratory is a speech you wrote yourself, her’s is on the importance of not only teaching kids how to read but to get enjoyment out of reading. POI is poetic oral interpretation and honestly, she’s explained it to me so many times but I still don’t really understand it. Her POI covers immigration and I have seen it make judges cry, it’s very powerful. They’ve both placed really well this year. 

I love speech. There’s no time to think about internet boys who still haven’t answered your email. When HOPE pattern comes I follow Reyna or Will to a round. We’re all supposed to do two events so we don’t have a pattern we’re just sitting around for. I’m supposed to be figuring out what event I want to do. So I use that as an excuse to go watch my teammates. I even watched one of Gwen’s poetry rounds. I was desperate to keep myself busy. During debate it was easy, there was no room to think about anything other than contentions, attacks, time limits, and not letting myself get angry. Sometimes the last one is really hard. 

By the time we get back to the hotel, we’re all exhausted and salty. Being salty is another common part of speech you can’t avoid. There will always be idiots who you think are doing speech wrong. Everyone thinks their coach has the best style. The loud grumblings of my teammates fill the hallway as we split off to go to our rooms.

“She sings in her POI, Jason, sings! That’s against the rules in literally every event!” Reyna’s accent becomes more noticeable when she’s tired. Reyna’s grandmother came over from Cuba when she was Reyna’s age. 

“You’ll beat her Rey, don’t worry.”

“If you mess up that turn again I will find a new duo partner.” Otis threatens as he unlocks our room.

The four boys all share a room to cut down on costs. Me killing the other three would cut down on costs as well. I’ve seriously considered switching over to the girls' room. It’s not like it would hurt anything with me being gay. But that would mean outing myself to the speech team. I love our team dynamic, I don’t want it to change. As I lay down to go to sleep I check my email for the first time all day.

I don’t have any new messages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this was all exposition.


End file.
